Relationship of Abundance of Oceanic Sea Skaters, Halobates in the Tropical Pacific Ocean to Surface Biomass and Chlorophyll/Oxygen Concentrations

Relationship of population density of oceanic sea skaters collected from tropical and subtropical zones in the Pacific Ocean was examined to chlorophyll concentration/Dissolved Oxygen concentration and biomass in surface sea water. The four parameters shown above were measured at the site of 12oN 135oN during the cruise, MR13-03 cruise, and at the site of 25oN 160oE during another cruise KH-14-02. Significant and positive correlation between all biomass (especially invertebrates) and population density of oceanic sea skaters collected with a Neuston-Net trailing during 15 min was shown in overall analysis on the data of the both samplings (p oN 160oE than that at 12oN 135oN with similar value of chlorophyll value (p oN 160oE than that at 12oN 135oN for keeping high density population of oceanic sea skaters.

Relationship between Cool Coma and Heat Coma Temperatures in the Oceanic Sea Skaters Halobates Collected near the Sumatra Island in the Indian Ocean

In the cruise, MR15-04 by R/V MIRAI, the samplings by the neuston net were performed in 23rd November to 14th December 2016 and three species of Halobates (H. germanus, H. micans, H. sp) were used for the temperature tolerance experiments after the collection. The neuston net was towed three times (3 × 15 min) on the starboard side of R/V MIRAI on the water surface with ship speed of 2 knot to water every 3 nights (19:00 - 20:00) at the fixed point in the south-western direction which was located at 50 km from the Sumatra island (4o03'S - 4o05'S, 101o53'E) in the Indonesia. Experiments on cool coma and heat coma were performed on the three species. Seconds for recovery from cool coma and heat coma were also examined on the Halobates in this study. Cool coma temperatures, gap temperature needed (temperature from the adapted temperature) for the cool coma and seconds for the recover from cool coma ranged 13.0oC to 25.0oC, 3.1oC to 16.1oC, 1 second to 4370 seconds, respectively. Heat coma temperature, gap temperature needed for the heat coma, seconds for the recover from heat coma ranged 29.4oC to 43.1oC, 1.9oC to 15.5oC, 2 seconds to 6420 seconds, respectively. The higher temperature of cool coma temperature during the last five days was shown when Madden-Julian Oscillation has passed over the ship, R/V MIRAI than the previous 10 days in the adults of H. germanus collected at the fixed place neat to Sumatra island (One way ANOVA: F-value = 2.314, df = 7, p = 0.028). Adults of un-described species, H. sp collected near to the Sumatra island, showed lower cool coma temperature [Mean ± SD: 15.51 ± 3.76 (9)] than those of H. germanus collected in the same place [16.96 ± 2.57 (191)]. This lower cool coma temperatures shown by this un-described species might be related to that this species should be a “shore” species inhabiting shore water in which many precipitation could cause the decreased surface temperature from 30oC - 31oC into about 25oC. Most of adults which suffered from the cool coma recovered within 20 seconds, whereas adults which suffered heat coma at 38oC and 39oC needed more than 200 seconds for the recovery and many of those which did it at more than 40oC needed more than 1000 second and some ones did not recover at all. All adults who suffered at more than 43oC did not recover at all. There were significant and negative correlation between cool and heat coma temperatures shown by the adults of H. germanus. This correlation might imply a common physiological mechanism for lower and higher temperature tolerances for this species.

Comparative Study of Salinity Tolerance an Oceanic Sea Skater, <i>Halobates</i><i>micans</i>and Its Closely Related Fresh Water Species, <i>Metrocoris</i><i>histrio</i>

This study aims, first, to examine the limit for tolerance to lower salinity by an oceanic sea skater, Halobates micans, and , second, to make it clear whether exclusively fresh water Halobatinae species, Metrocoris histrio has salinity tolerance. Adults of H. micans were collected using Neuston Net from the starboard side of R/V MIRAI on a fixed station at 8°S, 80°E, whereas those of M. histrio were collected from a small pond filled with a spring fresh water in Kochi (33°N, 133°E), Japan. Time in survival was measured in starved condition under several salinity conditions: 0‰, 2‰, 4‰, 6‰, 8‰, 9‰ and 10‰ for H. micans;0‰, 5‰, 10‰, 12.5‰, 15‰ for M. histrio. Half of adults were in coma due to lower salinity under 10‰ and time in survival was less than 10 hours under less than 4‰ for H. micans. Time in survival was half at 5‰ of 80 hours on average at 0‰ as a control and less than 10 hours at 10‰ or higher salinity for M. histrio. Relatively flexible osmo-regulation ability by H. micans would be related to wide variety of salinity condition of surface oceanic water, whereas very limited tolerance even to lower salinity of 5‰ may be permitted by the no chances to be exposed to brackish water in natural habitats of M. histrio. This study showed that salinity tolerance of Halobatinae species would reflect, directly, the salinity condition of their habitats.

Comparison of temperature preference for habitat among three species of oceanic sea skaters,Halobates micans,H.germanus and H.sericeus

The main purpose of this study is to investigate temperature preference for habitat of three species of oceanic sea skaters, Halobates micans, H. germanus and H. sericeus. For each of the three species, we examined the relationship between population density and surface water and air temperatures in the sampling sites during three science cruises in the tropical to temperate zone of the Pacific Ocean. A higher density of H. micans was observed in sites with higher water and air temperatures at 28℃?- 30℃?than that at site with lower temperatures of 23℃?- 28℃. A higher density of H. germanus was observed in sites with extremely high temperatures of 29.6℃?and 30℃?than that in sites with moderately high temperatures of 28℃?- 29℃?in the Pacific Ocean, while a relatively high density was observed in sites with a wide range of temperatures from 24℃?- 30℃?in the southern hemisphere Pacific Ocean. The relatively low temperature preference of 23℃?- 28℃?exhibited by H. sericeus may be related to its size as the smallest among the three species and its relatively wide latitudinal distribution ranging up to 40?N.

Heat coma as an indicator of resistance to environmental stress and its relationship to ocean dynamics in the sea skaters, Halobates （Heteroptera： Gerridae）

The tolerance to temperature increase was tested for Halobates individuals collected during two cruises in the western tropical Pacific Ocean （MR-06-05-Leg 3, December 21, 2006-January 12, 2007, 0°N-8°N; KH-06-02-Leg 5, August 18-31, 2006, 12°N-17°N）. High temperature coma experiments were conducted on adults and 5th instar larvae. On average, H. sericeus （distributed in the wide latitude zone of 5°N-40°N）, H. germanus （distributed in the moderate latitude zone of 0°N-35°N） and H. micans （distributed mainly in the lower latitudes around the equator） were on average paralyzed at 35.6℃（SD： 0.89）, 32.9℃ （SD： 2.17） and 31.6℃ （SD： 2.60）, respectively （P = 0.035）. According to the current dynamics during the cruise, the colony ofH. sericeus at one station （5°N 137°E） may have been transferred from the northern area of 14°N by three currents （North Equatorial Current, Mindanao Current and North Equatorial Counter Current） to the area of 5°N 138°E. Extremely high heat resistance was shown by the adults of H. germanus in the sea area around the equator. Dynamic current and air movements in this area around the equator, that is a ＂warm seawater pool＂, could be hypothesized to be related to the high resistance to heat shown in this study.